Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I brought my 10 year old male cat back from the vet yesterday. He was anemic due to a flea infestation even though he was on Advantage. The fleas are absolutely horrible this year and we have tried everything to get rid of them all. I bought some spray at the vet for the carpets and hopefully that will work for good. Anyhow, the vet sent him home after keeping him overnight with some Pet Tinic which he has to take twice a day. (He hates it!) He is drinking a lot of water...which I think is good but he will not eat anything, with the exception of licking the juices off of the wet food I give him. I am worried that he will not be able to build his red blood cells back up if he doesn't start eating. Not to mention the danger of fatty liver disease. Does anyone have any ideas how I should get him to eat? I could force feed him but that just tires him out so much when he tries to fight me. Is it normal for a cat not to eat after a traumatic trip to the vet? Should I be worried?

Hi There,

Please try some strained meat baby food on your kitty (with no onion added). Cats that aren't feeling well will often eat baby food before anything else. You can also try feeding him anything that smells really strong to try and jump start his appetite.

Yes, you should worry about your cat not eating. Even cats that are traumatized at the vet should be back to normal by the next day. You can also think about asking the vet for an appetite stimulent. Periactin works well in cats.

Cats with flea anemia will sometimes need a blood transfusion to help them get through it. Has your vet said whether your kitty should have one? I would ask about one if he doesn't seem to be getting any stronger.

Yes, the fleas have been awful everywhere this year. I feel so badly for the cats that become totally infested. And I have heard some people say that Advantage isn't working as well as it used to. So far it has worked very well on my cats, though.

Take care, and please let us know how your baby is doing.

Regards,
PHKitkat

Onyx is all better. He didn't eat for a couple of days, I tried everything...including the baby food. My other cats enjoyed it though since he wouldn't eat it...lol. But, now he all back to normal thanks to some force feeding and the Pet Tinic. The vet did say that he was almost to the point that he needed a blood transfusion but we were able to turn him around before it got that bad. He is finally able to be almost his normal self. I bought some diatomaceous earth and put it on all of our carpets. That seems to be killing the fleas. The vet gave me some frontline and it seems to be working better than the Advantage was. All the fleas I have combed off him (2-3) have been dead fleas...the best kind! Thanks for the advice!

Hi There,

This is wonderful news! Thanks for the update

BTW, I really love black cats and your baby is beautiful!

Regards,
PHKitkat